Bottle-cap.



No. 758,273. PATENTEDAPRZG;1904.H B. NORTON.

BOTTLE GAP. APPLICATION FILED D30. 14, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

lhuezvfir: Emmi 07122 Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

V EDWIN NORTON, OF 'NEw YORK, N. Y.

' BOTTLE-CAP.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 758,273, dated April 26, 1904. l Application filed December 14 1903. Serial No. 185,011. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDW N NORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York.

in the county of New York "and- State of New the customary wrenches, levers, keys, corkscrews, and other tools heretofore commonly used, and thus saving the expenseincident thereto.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this object or result-that is to say, it consists, in connection with a bottle, jar, or other vessel having an external shoulder at its neck or mouth, of a compressible cork or sealing disk, a corkholder disk, and a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-flange adapted to be compressed or bent under the shoulder on the bottle-neck and having an annular rim bearing upon the rim of the cork-holder disk to compress the annular rim portion of the cork or sealing disk against the top of the bottle-neck and provided at its top portion with an integral thumb-piece and a tongue leading from the thumb-piece to the outer edge of the rim of the clamping-disk and provided also with a tearing-strip extending from the tongue across the depending crimping-flange of the clamp-disk. The thumb-piece is preferably circular in form and of the full diameter of the clamping-disk less the narrow annular rim thereof, which gives the proper bearing upon the rims of the cork-holder disk and cork and sealing disk in compressing the same against the top of the bottle-neck. The thumb-piece is also preferably raised or embossed in shape to stiifen the same and afford a hollow or seat to receive the ball of the thumb or finger in grasping the same. As the tongue extends across the annular rim of the clamp-disk and to the corner or beginning of the depending crimpingflange, in opening the bottle the tongue lifts with the thumb-piece itself without resistance and bends back until it is straight with the tearing-strip extending across the depending crimping-flange, when a comparatively slight amount of force applied through the thumb-piece causes the tearing-strip to tear or separate along the weakened ilines across the crimping-flange by a peeling action and very easily. The clamping disk being thus divided, by removal of the tearing-strip it is free to be removed from the bottle, and the bottle may thus be opened very easily and conveniently Without the use of any special wrench or tool of any kind. As in my invention the depending upright or vertical crimping-flange of the clamp-disk is simply scored or furnished with weakened lines at each edge of the tearing-strip and as the crimping-flange is thus left continuous and solid throughout its whole circumference, the strength and holding power of the clamp-disk are maintained unimpaired, and a very safe and secure closure tle-neck to which it is applied. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view; Fig. 3, a central vertical section; Fig. i, a perspective view showing the thumbpiece and its connecting tongue lifted and ready for opening the bottle by tearing or separating the tearing-strip from the clamping-disk, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the cork-holder diskQ' In the drawings, A represents a bottle, jar, or other vessel having at its mouth or necka cap-holder groove or shoulder a.

B is a sheet-metal cork-holder disk having preferably a narrow depending cork-retaining flange b for keeping or holding the cork I O0 or scaling disk C in place therein and for confining its edges from spreading, flowing, or thinning out when subjected to the pressure of the sealing. operation. This flange b is preferably substantially cylindrical or at right angles to the plane of the cork or sealing disk, and thus serves to hold the cork or sealing disk 0 in place without the necessity of any glue or paste.

D is the sheet-metal clamp-disk, the same having a continuous depending crimpingfiange d extending around its whole circumference and adapted to be smoothly bent or crimped into or under the cap-holder groove or shoulder a on the neck or mouth of the bottle, jar, or other vessel. The clamp-disk D has a flat annular rim d at its top or disk portion, preferably about an eighth of an inch in width, to form a proper bearing against the rim portion of the cork-holder disk B and interposed cork or sealing disk G in compressing the same against the'top' edge or face of the bottle neck. The clamp-disk D has a thumb-piece d at its top or disk portion separated from the annular rim d by a circular slit or cut (Z and a tongue (1* extending across the rim d and separated therefrom by parallel slits or cuts d and which tongue terminates in a tearing-strip d, marked off by parallel scores or weakened lines d and ex tending across the depending crimping-flange (Z of the clamp-disk D. The thumb-piece (Z preferably has a raised or embossed portion d8 to form a hollow or seat for the ball of the thumb in grasping the same. The raised or embossed shape of the thumb piece also stifiens the same, and thus causes it to act more efliciently as a means for removing the tearing-strip and opening the bottle.

The scores or weakened lines 7 7 of the tearing-strip preferably terminate just above the point where the crimping-flange bends under the shoulder a of the bottle-neck, so thatthere will be no danger of the crimping operation breaking the crimping-flange.

To open a bottle, jar, or other vessel provided with my bottle cap or closure, all that is required is simply to raise the thumb-piece by means of ones thumb or finger nail and then grasp it between the thumb and finger and bend the tongue back upon itself and tear or remove the tearing-strip from the clampdisk D, thus allowing the clamp-disk to spread open and ofi? the bottle. Allspecial wrenches, keys,- or other tools for opening the bottle are thus by my invention entirely dispensed with.

I claim 7 1. The combination with a bottle, jar or other vessel having an external shoulder'at its neck or mouth, of a cork or sealing disk, a cork-holder disk and a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-flange solid and continuous throughout its whole circumference and a flat annular bearing-rim, and provided with 5 an integral thumb-piece, a tongue extending across the annular bearing-rim and ajgaringstri marked ofi by scores or weakened lines extendlng across the depending crimpingflange and adapted to be separated by tearing along said scores orweakened lines by force applied through the thumb-piece, substantially as specified.

2. In a closure for bottles, jars or other vessels, the combination with acork or sealing disk, of a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-ii ange solid and continuous throughout its whole circumference and an annular bearing-rim and provided with a tearing-strip marked off by weakened lines and extending across the crimping-flange, a thumb-piece separated from said annular rim by a curved slit or cut and a tongue extending across the bearing-rim and uniting the thumb-piece and tear ing-strip, said tearing-strip being adapted to be removed by tearing along its marginal weakenegl hnes by force applied through the thumb-piece.

3. In a closure for bottles, jars or other vessels, the combination with a cork or sealing disk, of a cork-holder disk and a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-flange solid and continuous throughout its whole circumference, an annular bearing-rim, and provided with a central circular thumb-piece, a tongue extending across the bearing-rim, and a tearing st rip extending across the crimpingflange and adapted to be separated by tearing along said scores prweakenedilines l y force applied through the th u mb piece, substantially as specified.

4. In a closure for bottles, jars or other vessels, the combination with a cork or sealing disk, of a cork-holder disk and a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-flange, an annular bearing-rim, and providedwith acentral circular thumb-piece, a tongue extending across the bearing-rim, and ateapipgstrip extending across the crimping-flange, said thumbpiece having a raised or embossed central portion to stiffen the same. and form a seat for the finger or thumb in grasping the same, substantially as specified.

5. In a closure for bottles, jars or other vessels, a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-flange solid and continuous throughout its whole circumference; an annular bearing-rim, a tearingstripextending across thecrimpingflange, a tongue extending across thebearingrim, and a central thumb-piece inside the bearing-rim, said tearing-strip being adapted to be removed by teariiig'along its marginal weakened lines by force applied through the thumb-piece, substantially as specified.

6. In a closure for bottles, jars or other vessels, a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-flange solid and continuous throughout its whole circumference, an annular bearing-rim, a tearingst rippxwing across the c rimpingflange, atongue extend'fiig across thebearingrimTand a central tlill Llb iepg inside the bearing-rim, said clamp-disk having a circular slit or cut around the thumb-piece, parallel slits or cuts at the edges of the toggue and scores or weakened lines bounding the tearifig striiifsaid tearing-strip being adapted to be removed by tearing along its marginal weakened lines by force applied through the thumb-piece substantially as specified.

7 In a closure for bottles, jars or other vessels, a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-fiange solid and continuous throughout its Whole circumference, an annular bearing-rim, a tearing-strip extending across the crimpingfiange and a thumb-piece inside the bearingrim for removing the tearing-strip, said tearing-strip being adapted to be removed by tearing along its marginal weakened lines by force applied through the thumb-piece, substantially as specified.

8. In a closure for bottles, jars or other vessels, a clamp-disk having a depending crimping-flange solid and continuous throughout its Whole circumference, an annular bearing-rim, a tearing-strip extending across the crimpingfiange and a thumb-piece inside the bearingri'm for removing the tearing-strip, the scores or weakened lines of the tearing-strip terminating at or near the point Where the crimping-flange bends under the shoulder of the bottle-neck, said tearing-strip being adapted to be removed by tearing along its marginal weakened lines by force applied through the thumb-piece, substantially as specified.

EDWIN NORTON.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, W. A. GEIGER. 

